Citations & Links

Horn of Africa

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April 03, 2017

Severe drought and food insecurity have displaced more than one million people in Somalia.

Al Shabaab will probably exploit the humanitarian crisis to expand its influence within populations outside of the Somali Federal Government’s reach. Al Shabaab already claimed to distribute food and water aid to thousands of families throughout central and southern Somalia in the last month. (Related reading: Al Shabaab’s History with Humanitarian Assistance)

Citations & Links

Libya

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April 03, 2017

An ISIS group based in Libya may have facilitated a planned attack on U.S. soil.

ISIS leadership in Syria relayed orders to an “American recruit” through the ISIS branch that once controlled Sirte, a coastal city in central Libya. The recruit was ordered to conduct an attack in the U.S., according to the Telegram account of a pro-ISIS militant. ISIS may use its regional hubs to coordinate attacks against Western targets, mitigating the impact of losses in Iraq and Syria on its ability to plan and execute external operations.

Jamatul Ahrar detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near a Shia religious site in Parachinar, Kurram Agency, killing at least 22 people. The attack ends a short operational pause following a series of high-casualty Jamatul Ahrar attacks in February 2017.